<\/p>\n
Hi,<\/p>\n
My friend lives in an area of the country where they joke about the weather. They say: \u201cDon\u2019t like the weather? Just stick around for a little while, it\u2019ll change.\u201d They think it\u2019s funny. But to a lot of people, change isn\u2019t funny. In fact, change is really hard for them. Like with bipolar disorder, for example. Think of your loved one before they were diagnosed. They acted a certain way. Then their behavior changed. But it was in a negative way. And that was very hard for you to accept. It\u2019s hard to watch your loved one change right before your eyes in a way that you can\u2019t understand or help them. At least at first. Imagine how they felt. It\u2019s equally hard when change happens to you. Like for your loved one and their bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n
Bipolar disorder causes your loved one\u2019s moods to swing and them to have uncontrollable behaviors sometimes. This can be a pretty big change for them, and hard to accept. In both cases, whether talking about your loved one or you yourself, the feeling is the same. It\u2019s a feeling of helplessness. Of not having control over what\u2019s happening to you (or your circumstances) or to someone you care about. And that can be a very negative feeling. Nobody likes to feel helpless.<\/p>\n
We all like to feel like we\u2019re in control over what happens to us. That\u2019s why we don\u2019t like it when things change around us kind of without our permission. But if you accept the changes, it will go much better for you and your loved one.<\/p>\n
For example: Your loved one may be learning about a concept called mindfulness in their therapy. You can learn about it, too. In mindfulness, you learn to accept things without judging them. That means that you accept them the way they are instead of how you would like them to be. You\u2019re not exactly helpless, but you\u2019re not exactly controlling things, either. You\u2019re just being in a sort of acceptance mode. And in this acceptance mode, you have a lot less stress in your life. Because you\u2019re letting change happen and not trying to control everything, especially things that you just can\u2019t control. You\u2019ll find that if you practice this concept, that you\u2019ll be much less stressed and much happier altogether. And so will your loved one.<\/p>\n
There are positive changes that come along with bipolar disorder, too. Like the changes that your loved one has been asked to do in their lifestyle. For example: They\u2019ve most likely been asked to stick to a good sleep schedule, go on a healthy, nutritious diet, and exercise on a regular basis as things they can do to manage their bipolar disorder. So change isn\u2019t always a bad thing.<\/p>\n
Well, I have to go!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Your Friend,<\/p>\n
Dave<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Hi,<\/p>\n
My friend lives in an area of the country where they joke about the weather. They say: \u201cDon\u2019t like the weather? Just stick around for a little while, it\u2019ll change.\u201d They think it\u2019s funny. But to a lot of people, change isn\u2019t funny. In fact, change is really hard for them. Like with bipolar disorder, for example. Think of your loved one before they were diagnosed. They acted a certain way.<\/p>\n